This invention relates to a method of arranging circuit members of an electric connection box which can be formed by flexible flat circuit members, such as a wire harnesses, without the use of a wiring board, and the invention also relates to a circuit member-arranging structure using this arranging method.
Examples of conventional electric connection boxes include one which was proposed by the Applicant of the present application, and is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei. 7-9023. In this electric connection box 1, bus bars 2 and wires 3, forming a circuit, are insulated by wiring boards 4 in each layer, as shown in FIG. 12. In this case, two (upper and lower) boards 4a and 4b are provided as the wiring boards 4, and the bus bars 2 are mounted on the lower board 4b while the wires 3 are mounted on the upper board 4a. Press-connecting terminals 5 for connection to connectors are fixedly mounted on the upper board 4a, and the wires 3 are press-connected to these press-connecting terminals 5, and the press-connecting terminals 5 are press-fitted into the bus bars 2 mounted on the lower board 4b, thus forming an internal equipment portion. This internal equipment portion is covered with a main cover 6 and an under cover 7, thereby forming the electric connection box 1.
In the above conventional electric connection box 1, however, it is a common practice to automatically mount the bus bars 2, the wires 3 and other electric parts on the plurality of wiring boards 4, using a wiring machine, and particularly the wiring structure of the wires 3 becomes complicated, and besides the number of the component parts increases, so that the assembling procedure becomes complicated. Therefore, an assembling installation becomes bulky, and as a result the cost of the product becomes high.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of arranging circuit members of an electric connection box, as well as a circuit member-arranging structure using this arranging method, in which an assembling operation can even be effected manually by simplifying the structure of an internal equipment portion, thereby reducing an installation cost.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of arranging circuit members of an electric connection box, characterized by:
a circuit member-overlapping step of overlapping a plurality of flexible flat circuit members in intersecting relation to each other, each of the flat circuit members comprising a plurality of conductors which are juxtaposed at predetermined intervals, and are covered with a covering member in an insulating manner;
an internal equipment portion-assembling step of connecting electric parts, such as a connector block, a fuse block and an electronic board, respectively to arbitrary portions of the overlapped flat circuit members; and
an internal equipment portion-inserting step of curling the flat circuit members and inserting them into a casing while positioning the electric parts relative to the casing.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging method, the plurality of flexible flat circuit members, each including the plurality of conductors covered with the covering member, are overlapped, and by doing so, the multi-layer circuit construction is simplified. The plurality of overlapped flat circuit members intersect each other, and by doing so, the layout of the electric parts, connected to these flat circuit members, can be effected easily. And besides, the plurality of flat circuit members, intersecting each other, are flexible, and therefore these flat circuit members, having the electric parts connected thereto, can be easily curled and inserted into the casing. Thus, the circuit construction of the internal equipment portion is simplified, and therefore the operation for overlapping the flat circuit members, the operation for connecting the electric parts, and the operation for inserting the internal equipment portion into the casing can be effected easily not only by an assembling apparatus but also by a manually-assembling operation.
In the electric connection box circuit member-arranging method of the invention, arbitrary ones of the conductors of the overlapped flat circuit members are connected together at their intersecting portions.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging method, the arbitrary conductors of the overlapped flat circuit members can be directly connected together, and therefore there is no need to use a connector and connection terminals.
In the electric connection box circuit member-arranging method of the invention, press-connecting terminals are fixedly secured to each of the electric parts, and the conductors of the flat circuit members are press-connected to the press-connecting terminals.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging method, the connection between the flat circuit member and the electric part can be made merely by press-connecting the conductors of the flat circuit member to the press-connecting terminals, and therefore this connecting operation can be effected easily and positively.
According to the invention, there is provided a structure of arranging circuit members of an electric connection box, characterized in that there are provided a plurality of flexible flat circuit members each comprising a plurality of conductors which are juxtaposed at predetermined intervals, and are covered with a covering member in an insulating manner, and the flat circuit members are overlapped in intersecting relation to each other, and electric parts, such as a connector block, a fuse block and an electronic board, are connected respectively to arbitrary portions of the overlapped flat circuit members, and the flat circuit members are curled, and are inserted into a casing while positioning the electric parts relative to the casing.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging structure, the plurality of flexible flat circuit members, each including the plurality of conductors covered with the covering member, are overlapped, and by doing so, the use of conventional wiring boards can be eliminated, so that the construction can be simplified. The plurality of overlapped flat circuit members intersect each other, and by doing so, the layout of the electric parts, connected to these flat circuit members, can be effected easily. And besides, the plurality of flat circuit members, intersecting each other, are flexible, and therefore these flat circuit members, having the electric parts connected thereto, can be easily curled and inserted into the casing, so that the compact design of the overall construction can be achieved. Furthermore, when the electric parts are beforehand provided at mounting holes and retaining portions of the casing, the fixing of these electric parts can be effected easily even by a manually-assembling operation. Furthermore, since the wiring structure is formed by the flat circuit members, the arbitrary circuit can be easily changed according to a program.
According to the invention, there is provided a structure of arranging circuit members of an electric connection box, characterized in that there are provided a plurality of flexible flat circuit members each comprising a plurality of conductors which are juxtaposed at predetermined intervals, and are covered with a covering member in an insulating manner, and the flat circuit members are overlapped in intersecting relation to each other, and the overlapped portions of the flat circuit members are received in a casing, and an arbitrary end of each flat circuit member is extended outwardly from the casing, and the extension portion is extended to an auxiliary equipment which is to be connected to the extension portion.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging structure, the plurality of flexible flat circuit members, each including the plurality of conductors covered with the covering member, are overlapped, and by doing so, the use of conventional wiring boards can be eliminated, so that the construction can be simplified. And besides, the flat circuit member is extended from the casing to the mating auxiliary equipment, and therefore the use of wires, connecting the casing to the auxiliary equipment, and the use of a connector, connecting these wires to the casing, are omitted.
In the electric connection box circuit member-arranging structure of the invention, arbitrary ones of the conductors of the overlapped flat circuit members are connected together at their intersecting portions.
In this electric connection box circuit member-arranging structure, the arbitrary conductors of the overlapped flat circuit members can be directly connected together, and therefore there is no need to use a connector and connection terminals, and the connection structure is simplified, and the connection can be effected positively.